£2m confectionery visitor attraction planned for York

The company that created the Jorvik Viking Centre is behind a new scheme to develop a £2m chocolate-themed visitor attraction in York.

The Sweet History of York would tell the story of the confectionery industry in the city.

The visitor attraction company Continuum say it has begun discussions over a vacant property in Kings Square.

If planning permission is given it is hoped the attraction would open in the spring of 2012.

York's association with the production of confectionery dates back more than two centuries.

The city was home to two of the biggest British names in chocolate, Rowntree Mackintosh and Terry's.

Swiss confectionary firm, Nestle, who acquired Rowntrees in the 1980s, still have a major manufacturing facility in the city.

Continuum developed and ran the Jorvik Viking Centre for 18 years and they currently operate a number of attractions including Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower and Oxford Castle - Unlocked.

The company is seeking planning consent to convert a shop on Kings Square into the chocolate-themed attraction with retail space and a cafe, spread over three floors, totalling 6,400 sq ft (594 sq m).

Juliana Delaney, chief executive of Continuum, said it was still early days and there was a long way to go.

She said: "Reports produced by the council call for additions to the tourism offer in the city and we hope to add value to the fantastic visitor experience the city already offers and give visitors a reason to come back."

Ms Delaney added that the development could create more than 30 new jobs.


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Source and Photo: BBC News

Getting Divinely high at Glastonbury

Wimbledon wouldn’t be Wimbledon without strawberries and cream – and Glastonbury wouldn’t be the nation’s favourite mud bath without chunks of a darkish brown mind-altering substance. It’s available in small packages, is easy to carry around, you can break it off in small chunks to enjoy bit by bit, it’s best in small doses and sharing’s always appreciated. Yes, it’s that self-indulgent festival staple - chocolate - and, this year, Glastonbury’s official supplier is the 100 per cent Fairtrade chocolate-maker Divine.

Console yourself as you swoosh through puddles, or reward yourself after putting up your tent (and especially after finding it again), by indulging in a 45g bar. Its limited edition wrapper can only have been inspired by the type of hope you achieve when in the grip of an out of body experience. I don’t mean the strange hieroglyphics depicted around the corners; they are on every packet. It’s the psychedelically-inspired and rather optimistic and large orange-red sun between two tiny and perfectly formed cumulus clouds floating in a vivid blue sky with the instruction “Shine with Divine” that take you to a place of pure phantasmagoria. It’s June; this is England; it’s Glastonbury and Wimbledon: it rains.

There is, however, some fantasy-fulfilment in store for one lucky nibbler. Inside a 100g packet down at Worthy Farm is a special Golden Ticket giving the winner and a friend an exclusive stage-side view for a performance on the Pyramid Stage on Sunday, 26th June. What better excuse to increase your odds by buying the whole range (milk chocolate, milk chocolate with orange, dark chocolate with orange and ginger, 70 per cent dark chocolate, and white chocolate with strawberry)?


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Source and Photo: Foodepedia

Chocolate Rules Down Under

Australians love their chocolate, Americans crave pizza and the British desire a steak.

These findings were among the results of an Oxfam survey gaining publicity today, in which more than 16,000 people around the world were asked what their favourite food is.

According to the survey, the world's top three favourite foods are pasta, meat and rice.

In Australia, chocolate ranked number one, followed by pasta, steak, seafood and pizza.

Pizza was overwhelmingly the top food in the United States, with almost twice as many people choosing it ahead of the second-ranked steak. Chicken, Mexican and pasta rounded out the top five.

In the United Kingdom, pasta, chicken, curry and pizza ranked behind steak as the top food choices.

More seriously, Oxfam found that high food prices have altered the food that many people around the world eat.

More than half of the respondents in poorer countries said they are no longer eating foods they ate two years ago, with 39 per cent blaming that change on rising prices.

In the US, most attributed their change in eating habits to health reasons rather than cost.

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Source: Herald Sun

Dental Survey reveals that Chocolate makes us Smile more than Anything Else

A recent survey carried out by the British Dental Health Foundation has revealed that chocolate makes us smile more than anything else.

The survey, which was conducted as part of the National Smile Month campaign, showed that people enjoy the simple pleasures, with a bar of chocolate topping the poll for ‘things that make you smile’. Chocolate narrowly beat seeing a loved one, which came in second place.

The love of chocolate was particularly strong amongst women, with 60 percent mentioning chocolate in their favourite list of items, but chocolate was less popular than a roast dinner with male participants.

The survey also revealed that many people responded positively to other people smiling, with a third of people surveyed saying that they immediately felt happier when they saw another person smile.

Survey participants revealed that the colour that made them feel happiest was yellow, as people associated it with summer.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the BDHF said that he hopes that this year’s National Smile Campaign, which ended yesterday, has made people smile whilst also encouraging them to take good care of their teeth and gums.


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Source and Photo: Cosmetic Dentristy Guide

Recipe of the Week - Goat Cheese Stuffed Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

I spotted this recipe on BlogHer and all I can say is OMG! The recipe makes 20 and sounds absolutely amazing.

INGREDIENTS

20 strawberries
2 ounces good quality goat cheese (preferably as fresh as possible)
7 - 8 ounces of good quality dark or milk chocolate


METHOD

1. Wash and dry strawberries. Carefully slice strawberry through the point end up to, but not through, the stem end.

2. Gently open each strawberry and using a small spoon or the point of a knife, place a small amount of goat cheese in the hollow part of the berry. Press berry closed.

3.  Place a few inches of water in a small saucepan and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.

4.  Place a heat-proof mixing bowl snugly on top of the saucepan, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.. Break chocolate into small pieces and put them in the bowl, stirring occasionally. When chocolate is melted, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

5. While the chocolate is melting, line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper. Set up three distinct dipping stations for the strawberries, chocolate and baking sheet.

6. Holding the berry by the stem end, dip in the chocolate, swirling to get all of the sides covered. Lift the berry out of the chocolate and shake gently to remove the excess chocolate.

7. Gently place the strawberries on the baking tray and let sit for 30 minutes to allow of the chocolate to harden (alternatively put it in the fridge). When the chocolate is completely set, it will no longer be shiny.

8. Serve immediately, or remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving.

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Source and Photo: BlogHer

Cadbury apologises over Naomi Campbell advert

Chocolate maker Cadbury has apologised after one of its adverts 'caused upset' to supermodel Naomi Campbell.

The campaign for its Dairy Milk Bliss chocolate included the line ''Move over Naomi, there's a new diva in town''.

A spokesman for the firm said: ''Cadbury understands that our latest advertising campaign for Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss caused upset to Naomi Campbell and her family.

''Cadbury takes its responsibility to consumers very seriously indeed and we would never deliberately produce any marketing material we felt might cause offence to any section of society.

''It was not our intention that this campaign should offend Naomi, her family or anybody else and we are sincerely sorry that it has done so.''

The firm has withdrawn the adverts and pledged not to use them again.

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Source and Photo: The Telegraph UK

Australian Mars Bars now Rainforest Alliance certified

Mars Chocolate Australia has announced that it will source enough Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa to cover the production of its iconic Mars Bar, which will bear the Rainforest Alliance treefrog logo.

The move follows Cadbury's switch last year, when the company began purchasing enough Fairtrade cocoa to cover the production of its Dairy Milk blocks.

Mars Chocolate Australia said that chocolate lovers want to know that their special treat not only tastes delicious, but has been produced in a sustainable and ethical way.

"MARS Bars have been an iconic product loved by Australians for 30 years," said Michael Ryan, General Manager of Mars Chocolate Australia.

"We are thrilled that we can continue to offer the same quality and taste, with the added assurance that Mars Chocolate Australia has sourced cocoa beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms to meet our needs."

"The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal on MARS Bars demonstrates Mars Chocolate Australia's commitment to sourcing sustainably produced cocoa, supporting cocoa farming communities in West Africa and globally."

"Nearly all cocoa is grown on small, family farms that are vulnerable to disease, inclement weather and price fluctuations," said Anita Neville of Rainforest Alliance Australia.

The certified cocoa sourced for Mars Bars will come from the Ivory Coast in West Africa.

"The amount of cocoa beans used for Mars Chocolate Australia will require the annual harvest of several thousand farmers.

This is a real commitment to sustainable farming that is already making a difference to cocoa growing communities."

As with Cadbury's move, the certified cocoa will be traced and volume-matched to the amount of cocoa used to produce Mars Bars at the company's Ballarat factory, rather than the product itself being wholly produced from sustainable cocoa.

In actual fact, all of Mars' chocolate products will contain a proportion of Rainforest Alliance cocoa. Globally, Mars Chocolate Australia said it has made a commitment to have all of the cocoa in its products certified as being produced in a sustainable manner by 2020.

In Australia, Mars Chocolate Australia hopes to have its full range of products sourced from certified farms well in advance of its 2020 global commitment.

The Rainforest Alliance works with farmers to improve and change how they operate so that the environment and wildlife are protected.

It also makes sure farm workers are paid a good wage, work in safe conditions, have access to good housing, and their children have access to education and healthcare.

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Source and photo: International Business Times